positive and a unique differentiating factor for our school. Reflecting on it over the past few years, however, I have detected a problem. Our internationalisation is focused on connecting the school – and the country – to the global north but our links to the global south, especially to other Latin American countries and Africa, are clearly underdeveloped. We are not alone. Having done dozens of accreditations in the region, I see that this pattern is the norm in most business schools in both Latin America and Africa. “This is clearly a missed opportunity. When I look at the business environment in the region, I see an obvious mismatch. For a long time, large organisations have been structured with a regional approach, with several senior management positions taking responsibility for business in the region instead of only the country. We also saw the emergence of the ‘ multilatinas ’, ie multinational companies headquartered in Latin America that operate across the region and globally – Embraer, Vale, Cemex, Bimbo and Mercado Libre are just a few examples. “Even in the startup
wisdom that otherwise could take decades to develop. The challenge lies in designing programmes that offer experiential learning opportunities, which allow students to navigate and apply an ever-increasing volume of information.” The principles of sustainability and DEI have both been embedded into MBA programmes around the world – how integral do you think they are to the concept of leadership? “A business leader needs to possess a comprehensive understanding of the real world. Some of us live in a bubble disconnected from other aspects of society; this isolation is reinforced by social media. One of the roles of an MBA programme is to help participants break through this bubble. “Sustainability and DEI are key aspects of today’s society. It is imperative that MBA programmes offer opportunities for participants to gain a deeper understanding of these issues. Diversity of both the cohort and faculty is key since interactions during the programme are a major learning factor. “Another element is offering experiential
opportunities such as trips, workshops and immersion periods where participants gain a real perspective of the challenges associated with sustainability and inequality. One of the most successful activities we offer on several of our MBA programmes is a trip to the Amazon region, where participants interact
and unicorn territory, such as Rappi, Quinto Andar, C6, Kavak or Nubank for instance, the integration of the regional market is hugely visible. The history of these companies is to quickly expand their operations from their
FGV EAESP is well-placed to develop leaders with a keen awareness of sustainability given Latin America’s unique environmental issues
country of origin to other Latin American markets. As business schools, we are falling behind what is happening in the commercial environment. “We need to complement our internationalisation towards the global north by strengthening our regional connections. New forms of co-operation are probably needed, such as alternative or shorter student exchange opportunities, immersion weeks, joint projects and faculty exchange. We need alternatives that do not force our students and faculty to choose between connecting to the global north or connecting regionally, but which enable them to do both. Our revised international strategy has made this challenge a priority.” How has management education evolved since you started working in the sector? “In the early 2000s there was still a great focus on content and learning techniques. This has changed dramatically and shifted to a focus on developing the individual in multiple dimensions and in a more personalised way. This trend continues, powered by new technologies like AI. In terms of content, our role has moved to us becoming a curator of knowledge, teaching cohorts how to continue to learn and be
with local communities, guided by a professor. “Developing leaders with a profound awareness and understanding of sustainability and DEI is especially relevant in a region such as Latin America, given its vast and unique environmental issues.” What are the specific challenges that business schools in the Latin America region are currently facing and how do you plan to deal with them? “One of the greatest challenges is changing the pattern of internationalisation followed by almost all local business schools, including ourselves. We achieved our international accreditations early on (AACSB in 2000, EQUIS in 2001 and AMBA in 2004). For more than a decade we were the only triple-crown school in the country, which allowed us to build an excellent network of international partnerships and to become members of exclusive bodies such as GNAM, CEMS, PIM, GPPN, COBS and IPBS in addition to other broader associations like PRME and GBSN. “We were also able to forge dozens of bilateral double degrees at different levels for our students. This is all extremely
14 Ambition • ISSUE 1 • 2026
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